Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 16 - Division of Human Resources ***
Rule 005.16.07-007 - ADE 277: Rules Governing the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program
Universal Citation: AR Admin Rules 005.16.07-007
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
1.00 Regulatory Authority
1.01 These rules
shall be known as the Department of Education (Department) Rules Governing the
Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program (REAP).
1.02 These rules are enacted under the State
Board of Education's (State Board) authority pursuant to Ark. Code Ann.
§§
6-11-105,
25-15-201 et seq. and Act 1029 of
2007.
2.00 Purpose
2.01 The purpose of these
rules is to create a pilot program to afford public school districts and public
charter schools the opportunity to develop teacher compensation plans tailored
to the needs of public school districts and/or public charter
schools.
3.00 Definitions
For the purposes of these rules, the following terms shall mean:
3.01 "Compensation" which will
be funded under the REAP plan will be the teacher's/employee's salary,
excluding benefits.
3.02 "Knowledge
and Skills" is the base portion of the teacher's compensation under a REAP
compensation plan which considers but is not limited to factors such as years
of experience and degree levels as set forth in the Rewarding Excellence in
Achievement Plan.
3.03 "Local
Board" is the local school board of directors exercising the control and
management of a public charter school or public school district.
3.04 "Performance" is the portion of the
teacher's compensation under a REAP plan which considers, without limitation,
factors such as: professional development, teacher attendance, student
achievement both by class and school-wide, and the teacher's performance
evaluations.
3.05 "Rewarding
Excellence in Achievement Program (REAP)" is an alternative plan for teacher
compensation which may be developed by a public school, public school district,
or public charter school.
3.06
"Participants" are the public school or school districts or public charter
schools selected for participation in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement
Program.
3.07 "Peer Evaluations"
means objective evaluations of teachers conducted by other teachers using
multiple criteria including provisions for integrated on-going site-based
professional development activities to improve instructional skills and
learning that are aligned with student needs under §
6-15-2009. These peer evaluators
shall understand teaching and learning and be locally selected and periodically
trained evaluators.
3.08 "Staff are
the teachers, administrators and/or classified employees who have voted to be
participants in the REAP program.
4.00 Selection Criteria and Requirements in Considering the Application for Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program
4.01 Public school
districts or public charter schools desiring to participate in the Rewarding
Excellence in Achievement Program must submit an application to the State Board
of Education, on forms developed by the Department. A district may apply on
behalf of a single school within the public school district that desires to
participate in the REAP plan.
4.02
Participants shall be selected through a competitive process.
4.02.1 Consideration will be given to
qualified applicants from various locations and from districts of various sizes
and demographics.
4.03
The application procedure shall provide for a phase-in process, beginning with
a planning phase for a minimum period of twelve-months, to allow applicants
access to resources that would allow sufficient research of best practices and
time to garner community and staff support in submitting a REAP plan.
4.04 To participate in REAP, a participant
must submit a proper application providing all necessary information and
documents as requested by these rules and the form herein attached and
incorporated as the REAP Application Form.
4.05 The REAP Application shall be submitted
or postmarked to Human Resource Office of the ADE on or before 4:30 p.m. on
Monday, March 3, 2008.
4.06 To the
extent practicable, the ADE shall select three REAP participants from each
congressional district with at least one participant having a student
population of less than 1,000 students; between 1,000 and 8,000 students; and
greater than 8,000 students. In addition, the ADE shall, to the extent
possible, strive to have REAP participants from each congressional district
with at least one participant from each who has a percentage of eligible Free
and Reduced Lunch (FRL) student population greater than 90% students; less than
90% but greater than 70% eligible FRL students; and less than 70% FRL eligible
students. To the extent possible, the ADE shall try to mix the student
population requirements with differing demographics of percentage of eligible
FRL students between Congressional districts so as to have a varied
representation of size and demographic of students in the pilot study.
4.06.1 Each participant that meets the
criteria mentioned in Section 4.06 shall receive point(s) pursuant to the
rubric, which will be developed by the committee (Section 5.02), for each
criteria met. In addition, each participant application shall receive point(s)
on a competitive scale based on the quality of compliance with the requirements
of Sections 4.00, 5.01 and 6.00 of these rules.
4.06.2 The ADE has the discretion to select
certain REAP participants as necessary to comply with the selection criteria of
Section 4.06 regardless of the competitive score of any single
participant.
4.07 To
participate in REAP, a participant must have an approved comprehensive school
improvement plan, as defined in Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-419(9).
4.07.1 Prior to full implementation of a REAP
plan, the comprehensive school improvement plan of the participant shall
include:
4.07.1.1 Assessment and evaluation
tools to measure student performance and progress based on an achievement gains
model;
4.07.1.2 Performance goals
and benchmark improvement;
4.07.1.3
Measures of student attendance and completion rates;
4.07.1.4 A rigorous professional development
system consistent with the comprehensive school improvement plan defined in
Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-419(9) and
student academic improvement plans as defined in Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-419(2);
4.07.1.5 Measures of student, family, and
community involvement and satisfaction;
4.07.1.6 A data reporting system about
students and their academic progress that provides parents and the public with
understandable information.
4.07.1.7 A teacher induction and mentoring
program for probationary teachers that provides continuous learning and
sustained teacher support; and
4.07.1.8 Substantial participation by
teachers in developing the REAP plan.
4.08 As part of the application process,
schools wishing to participate shall conduct a vote of the teachers to show or
express interest in the development of a REAP plan with the level for
acceptance being seventy percent (70%) or another percent established by a
majority vote of the teachers and approved by the local board.
4.08.1 After the local committee completes
the development of the REAP plan, it will be distributed to the teachers before
submission to the State Board of Education.
4.08.2 If fifty-one percent (51%) or more of
a participating school's teachers elect not to participate, the REAP plan shall
not be approved by the State Board of Education or implemented.
4.08.3 A teacher in a school selected by the
State Board of Education to participate may elect not to participate in the
REAP plan.
4.09 All
recipients of funds provided by the REAP plan shall cooperate and share all
school demographic and student achievement data with any state-sponsored
evaluation of this program.
4.09.1 Applicant
public school districts or public charter schools shall form a committee to
consist of its administrators and teachers, the majority of who shall be
classroom teachers.
4.09.1.1 The classroom
teacher members of the committee shall be elected by a majority of the
classroom teachers voting by secret ballot.
4.09.1.2 The election shall be solely and
exclusively conducted by classroom teachers, including the distribution of
ballots to all classroom teachers.
4.09.2 The committee shall be responsible for
creating, assisting in the implementation and evaluating the school's REAP
plan.
4.09.3 The committee shall
annually report to its local board on the evaluation of the school's REAP
plan.
4.10 The contents
of a REAP plan approved for participation in the REAP shall:
4.10.1 Describe how teachers can achieve
career advancement and additional compensation;
4.10.2 Describe how participants will provide
teachers with career advancement options that allow teachers to retain primary
roles in student instruction and facilitate site-focused professional
development that will help other teachers improve their skills;
4.10.3 Describe all assurances as to how the
plan will prevent the initial compensation of participating staff members from
being reduced by implementing the pay system developed as a result of the REAP
plan;
4.10.4 Describe how the forty
percent to sixty percent (40% - 60%) performance portion of compensation will
be determined;
4.10.5 Describe how
the forty percent to sixty percent (40% - 60%) knowledge and skill base portion
of compensation will be determined;
4.10.6 Describe how the plan will reform the
"steps and lanes" salary schedule;
4.10.7 Describe how the participants will
encourage a collaborative relationship among teachers; and
4.10.8 Describe how, after full plan
implementation, the alternative compensation system will be sustained if it is
deemed successful or phased out if the REAP plan evaluation reveals that the
plan does not work for the participant.
4.11 Rewarding Excellence in Achievement
plans approved for participation in the program may include provisions
regarding the compensation for administrators and other staff
members.
4.12 Under the REAP plan,
increases in compensation for the performance portion, forty percent to sixty
percent (40% - 60%) of the teacher's total compensation, shall include:
4.12.1 Achievement gains of students in each
teacher's class on student scores under the statewide assessment program
described in Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-433. Locally selected and
Department of Education approved standardized assessment outcomes for students
in each teacher's class may also be included.
4.12.2 Achievement gains of students on a
school-wide basis under the statewide assessment program described in Ark. Code
Ann. §§
6-15-433. Locally selected and
Department of Education - approved standardized assessment outcomes may also be
included; and
4.12.3 The remaining
percentage of the performance portion of compensation of the teacher's total
compensation shall be based on an objective teacher evaluation program that
includes:
4.12.3.1 An individual objective
teacher evaluation conducted by the school principal that is aligned with the
comprehensive school improvement plan and professional development plan
described in Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-2607; and
4.12.3.2 Peer objective evaluations using
multiple criteria conducted by locally selected and periodically trained
evaluators who understand teaching and learning and that include provisions for
integrated ongoing site-based professional development activities to improve
instructional skills and learning that are aligned with student needs under
Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-2009.
5.00 REAP Timeline and Schedule
5.01 All applications due or
postmarked on or before 4:30 p.m., Monday, March 3, 2008.
5.02 ADE shall convene the appropriate
committees to develop a rubric for the application process as well as to read
and evaluate REAP applications.
5.03 ADE shall announce the twelve (12)
approved REAP applications or that number up to twelve (12).
5.04 May 1, 2008 through May 1, 2009:
Participants are required to implement the "phase-in" process for all approved
applicants. Quarterly written updates are to be provided to ADE on the
implementation phasing-in processing with updates due:
a. August 1,2008
b. November 1,2008
c. February 1, 2008
d. May 1,2008
5.04.1 Districts may count any time already
used to phase-in an already existing REAP program or similar program approved
as a REAP application for the phase-in process time period required in Section
5.00 of these rules.
5.05 July 1, 2009 is the latest required date
for implementation for an approved REAP program.
5.06 These dates shall be subject to
modification or alteration as determined in the best interest of the REAP
program by the ADE.
6.00 Staff Development
6.01 Staff
development activities for a participant in the Rewarding Excellence in
Achievement Program shall:
6.01.1 Focus on
the school classroom and research-based strategies that improve student
learning;
6.01.2 Provide
opportunities for teachers to practice and improve their instructional skills
over time;
6.01.3 Provide
opportunities for teachers to use student data as part of their daily work to
increase student achievement;
6.01.4 Enhance teacher content knowledge and
instructional skills;
6.01.5 Align
with state academic standards;
6.01.6 Provide opportunities to build
professional relationships, foster collaboration among principals and staff who
provide instruction and provide opportunities for teacher-to-teacher mentoring;
and
6.01.7 Align with the REAP plan
of the participant.
6.02
Staff development activities for participants in the Rewarding Excellence in
Achievement Program may include:
6.02.1
Curriculum development and curriculum training programs; and
6.01.2 Activities that provide teachers and
other staff members training to enhance teacher, team, and school
performance.
6.03 The
participants may implement other staff development activities associated with
professional teacher compensation models.
7.00 Evaluation of Participants
7.01 The Department of Education shall
commission an annual evaluation of the REAP plan of each school participating
in the program.
7.02 The annual
evaluation shall include, without limitation, consideration of:
7.02.1 Student scores under the statewide
assessment program described in §
6-15-433;
7.02.2 Student attendance;
7.02.3 Student grades;
7.02.4 Incidents involving student
discipline;
7.02.5 Socioeconomic
data on students' families;
7.02.6
Parental satisfaction with the schools;
7.02.7 Student satisfaction with the schools;
and
7.02.8 Correlations between
student assessment gains and teacher degree levels, years of experience, staff
development, and a school's status for having a qualified teacher in every
classroom under Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-15-1004.
8.00 Reporting and Continued Funding for the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program
8.01 In addition to the
program evaluation required by Section 7.00 of these rules each participating
school district or public charter school shall report on the implementation and
effectiveness of its REAP plan and make recommendation by August
15th each year to its local board.
8.01.1 The local board shall transmit a copy
of the report with a summary of the findings and recommendations of the public
school or school district or public charter school to the Commissioner of
Education.
8.02 If the
Commissioner determines that a public school or school district or public
charter school that receives funding under the REAP program is not complying
with the requirements of the program, the Commissioner shall withhold further
funding from that participant.
8.02.1 Such
withheld funds may be reallocated to other existing REAP participants or REAP
applicants in an alternate status of award.
8.02.2 Before making the determination to
withhold funds, the Commissioner shall notify the participant of any
deficiencies and provide the participant an opportunity to comply with the
requirements of the REAP program.
8.03 At the end of the REAP period, the
Commissioner shall present evaluation findings and recommendations to the State
Board of Education, the House Education Committee and the Senate Education
Committee.
Procedures for the REAP Application
1. Sections I, II, III and VI are to be
completed on the application form. Sections IV and V may be completed by a Word
document and attached to the application. (Applications may be submitted
on-line.)
2. All responses to
sections IV and V should be titled/ labeled for easy reference by the
reviewers. Each section should define the goal and include specific measurable
objectives for each goal.
3. The
budget should differentiate the costs for planning and incentives to staff. The
budget should also outline how any projected new revenue would be added to
these incentives as well as how to address compensation of staff which may
fluctuate due to varying results on the criteria for compensation.
4. The narrative for Section IV"Criteria for
Selection" of the application should not exceed ten (10) typed pages, double
spaced with a font minimum of twelve (12).
5. The deadline for the application is the
end of business (4:30 p.m.) March 3, 2008. Applications postmarked on or prior
to March 3, 2008 will be accepted.
Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program (REAP)
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arkansas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
